ghost of my youth

An excerpt of my young life, a description of one vivid memory, although there were many like it

We chased through the trees with weightless bodies and the feel of the dust and earth beneath bare feet brought great thuds of life up through my veins. Through the trails and over banyan vines, I was the wind and flew. Quiet in the night, alone with you...

I can still hear the melody faintly of secrets and songs my sister would sing, lying awake for hours. The scent of plumeria drenched the streets of summer nights, mingled with the ocean breeze coming two miles from the seashore. We could hear the beautiful Drunks, laughing and dancing ungracefully back to the hotel across the street each night.  Through the summer, old man gardener came each week to rake the fallen leaves... we paid him with mangoes and quarters...

When mom would rage and scream it tore our hearts. Her eyes were set on fire, and as she called after me from the back porch I kept running...barefoot under honey street lights shining over broken glass like diamonds. I ran through the old graveyard , over grandmothers and great uncles and children who lay quiet under the plumeria grove... As I kept running I wished for their peace. In the dark, my heart pounding, I wished for their life...

I ran until I reached the sea where shallow water swallowed stars and fear. With quiet water you eased my pain as I walked out into the deep black pool...my ankles then my knees surrounded by the storms and the tides of the Indian Ocean, the Caspian Sea. My tears fell, and met with all your tears of time. In the old moored boat you rocked me, and as you rocked, you carried me away with all your tears of time.

Reviews

[Heyns]

I can feel the earth beneath my feet, taste the mangoes, and hear the ocean. So, well done. Thank you.